Expedited removal recommended for Anne Arundel judge

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The Maryland Commission on Judicial Disabilities this week recommended the removal of Anne Arundel County Orphans’ Court Judge Marc Knapp, describing his misconduct as “egregious,” “pervasive” and “severe.”

The commission on Monday unanimously recommended that the Maryland Supreme Court remove Knapp on an expedited basis for repeated violations of the rules governing judges’ conduct.

“All of this embarrasses the Maryland judiciary and diminishes the public’s trust in the Anne Arundel County Orphans’ Court,” wrote Anne Albright, who chairs the Commission on Judicial Disabilities, in addition to serving as a judge on the Maryland Appellate Court.

Knapp’s lawyer, William C. Brennan Jr., declined to comment.

Knapp and Vickie Gipson, the orphans’ court’s chief judge, began clashing shortly after the former took office in early 2023. The two argued in chambers and on the bench, and their shouting could be heard throughout the building where they worked.

Gipson said she felt physically threatened by Knapp and obtained a temporary peace order against him. She twice called police to the court, which shares a building with the county register of wills. Attempts to mediate the conflict and agree to basic rules of engagement were unsuccessful.

Knapp acknowledged that he did not respect Gipson, believing she was a bad writer and lawyer. He said of Gipson, who is Black, to the commission, “she uses English words, but they sure are not English sentences.”

Knapp violated a temporary peace order, illegally recorded Gipson and former Orphans’ Court Judge David Duba without their consent and deleted some of those recordings in the presence of law enforcement, officials said.

Investigative counsel for the commission recommended his removal in October.

The commission found by “clear and convincing evidence” that Knapp violated rules governing bias and discrimination, decorum, compliance with the law, promotion of confidence in the judiciary, statements on pending cases, cooperation with disciplinary authorities and more.

Albright wrote that judges might disagree with each other or have interpersonal conflicts but must “remain patient, dignified, and courteous which (Knapp) repeatedly failed to do.”

She also wrote that he “does not appear to have developed any insight into how his behavior affects others.”

The commission is also considering discipline for Gipson. Investigative counsel for the commission in December stopped short of asking for her removal, instead recommending that she be suspended without pay, and that she receive mentoring and training.

Gipson faces sanctions for misusing her judicial title and unlawfully changing the court’s hours, among other alleged rules violations.

Knapp has filed for reelection this year. He is one of four Democrats in the primary; three Republicans are also running. Gipson is not running for reelection.

Orphans’ courts are Maryland’s probate courts, managing the administration of the estates of people who have died with or without a will.

The conflict between Gipson and Knapp has prompted some to advocate for an end to orphans’ courts. In three counties, circuit courts handle probate and estate matters; only three jurisdictions that have orphans’ courts require judges to be members of the Maryland bar. A bill pending in the General Assembly would prohibit disciplined judges from winning their seats back in elections.

The decision marks the first time the commission has asked the Maryland Supreme Court to remove a judge since 2021, when it recommended the immediate removal of Kent County Orphans’ Court Judge Amy Leigh Nickerson.

This story has been updated with Brennan’s response.

Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly reported that the Commission on Judicial Disabilities recommended the removal of former Prince George’s County Circuit Judge April Ademiluyi; the Maryland Supreme Court removed her after the commission recommended lesser sanctions.